Alteri Bello
by MidnightDawn999
Summary: On their way to the planet Losuju to pick up an item that contains secret rebel intel, Commander Cody and General Kenobi are ambushed. With no way to contact the Jedi council, hunted by a droid fleet and one of them injured, they must find a way to complete the mission - whatever the risks.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thank you all for your time. This was co-written with the brilliant RubbleStrength, and we are still in the midst of writing it, so I can't give you an approximate on how many chapters there will be... Although, on average our chapter-fics vary from five, to twenty. God bless, and enjoy!**

Stars whooshed by-brilliant blue, silver, purple and white. Obi-Wan hated flying, but that was just for the traffic or occasional air-battles. He loved the scene of hyperspace. The Jedi smiled slightly. He hit the com button in the two-person fighter. "Cody, we've almost reached Losuju."

Obi-Wan had been dispatched to retrieve a secret Separatist code from the planet. It had been left there in an abandoned Jedi stronghold. His-and Cody's-mission, was to retrieve the chip and the information it held, and bring it back to Coruscant. "Are you ready?" He asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Yes, Sir," Cody replied. "The rebels on Losuju just sent the rest of the coordinates."

"All right..." Obi-Wan looked down at the console. Sure enough, he was receiving a transmission. "It's on the others side of the planet," Obi-Wan stated, mostly to himself, though he was well aware Cody could hear him. "We'll scan the area and make sure no one-and no droid-is in the area, then we'll land."

"Roger that." Cody frowned in concentration, even as he stared out at the blurred stars.

Obi-Wan dropped the ship out of hyperspace. This should be an uneventful trip... Or, it should have been.

The moment the ship slowed, the scanners beeped wildly, warning of ships nearby. "Looks like we've got company-not friendly," Obi-Wan announced. "Be prepared to fire, if necessary." He grimaced. He could see several ships-at least as large as their own-floating between them, and the planet. They were indeed Separatist ships.

"Yes, Sir." Cody looked out, watching the approaching ships. TIE fighters moved into formation... "General, they're too organized. They must've known we were coming!" Cody scowled. Despite everything they had done, it appeared the efforts to accomplish the mission unnoticed were gone.

"It would seem so." Obi-Wan took evasive action. "I'll try to get the ship turned around. If you get a shot, take it!"

The targeting system began tracking the movements of one of the other ships, trying to lock onto it. The clone commander waited for the beeping before pressing down, colored bolts hitting the Fighters' wing.

Obi-Wan watched as an enemy fighter exploded, trailing away in flames. "Good shot!" Still, they weren't out of the woods-not by far. They were heavily outnumbered, and if the enemy knew they were here, did they know why? What if they'd found-and possibly destroyed-the information? All Obi-Wan could do was hope they didn't know about that.

Another ship turned to flames and fell off towards the planet, starting to be torn apart by gravity. Before Cody could get off another shot, their own ship was hit by a burst of red bolts. It jerked and shuddered, and from where he sat he could see sparks. If there hadn't been beeping before, there certainly was now.

"Not good," Obi-Wan muttered. He kept a tight hold of the controls. Though he'd not yet said it, he was losing control of the ship. "Looks like we're going down." After a moment, he added, "This is why I hate flying."

Another shot to the ship's side sent them spinning toward Losuju. Obi-Wan valiantly attempted to turn the front of the ship until it was facing forward. It worked-sort of. He was glad Anakin wasn't there to gloat.

Their descent was increasing in speed, and a firey-light surrounded the ship. Cody cursed - there was nothing more he could do from back here. For now, at least.

Obi-Wan straightened out the ship and watched with a grim expression as the ship went hurdling toward the planet below, speed unchecked. He hoped this would end better than it had started. Perhaps the information would still be there, and the crash wouldn't be as bad as it could be.

The beeping sounded in Cody's ears, lights of both blue and red flashing... He grimaced. There really was no way to brace oneself for impact. Though, all of the clones had been trained for every situation of war.

The ship fell through clouds, gathering speed. Obi-Wan could see flames spark off the wings of the ship. His vision was blocked. He leaned back against the seat and hoped this would be over soon... There was no way to stop this now. Holding onto the controls, he waited for the inevitable landing.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you all for reading. If you are able, a favorite, follow or/and review would mean the world to us. (Which world is the question, whichever world is your favorite... *Smiles*) God bless!**

The darkness pressed in around Cody, shrouding his vision and holding him in the haze. He shook his head, trying to blink away the black spots. He frowned deeply and shifted his arm. Groaning, he tried to push away the broken clips and straps. The man took a deep breath, only to sputter it back out in surprise. What felt like a muscle spasm seized in his chest, and he tried to wait it out.

Eventually, it subsided. He didn't try to move again, at least for the time being. He tried to turn on the com link, and cried out as another spasm began. "Commander," he panted, "General Kenobi - are you all right?"

Obi-Wan stirred. His eyes fluttered open and he stared at rubble and smoke as it billowed around him. It took him a moment to recall what had just happened. "Cody? Yes, I'm all right." The Jedi pushed against the glass barrier of the cockpit. "Are you all right?" he returned the question.

"Well," Cody laughed hoarsely and ended in a fit of strangled coughing. "I'm just having a bit of trouble getting out."

"Hold on a moment..." Obi-Wan coughed. "I think..." he looked around himself. "I think I can manage something." Focusing, Obi-Wan let the Force move, using it to push the glass off the top of the ship. It fell away with a thud, and Obi-Wan maneuvered himself out of the craft, hopping onto the wing.

The Jedi moved toward the clone commander. "Are you injured?" Obi-Wan's blue eyes clouded with concern.

"Yes," he paused to take a shuddering breath, "I can still fight."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Let's hope that isn't necessary." He began working to free his friend. It wasn't easy, but blessedly, it was easier than it could've been. Finally, he pulled Cody from the back of the plane, and the two started moving off the wing.

Cody yelled through clenched teeth, leaning against Obi-wan. "Did the clankers follow us?" Pain exploded in his chest again, making the blot dots cloud his vision once more.

Obi-Wan flinched, he glanced around and shook his head. "I don't know. I don't see anyone, but that doesn't mean they won't come." Even as he spoke, Obi-Wan lowered Cody down, and once securely on the ground, he helped the man a little ways away from the ship, lowered him to the ground, and stood beside him.

Cody pulled off the helmet and draped an arm over his ribcage. "No offence, Sir, but that could have been a better landing."

"Here I thought I would escape the jests-as that's normally Anakin's job." Obi-Wan smiled-more like smirked. He looked back to the ship. "You're right, it could've been. I've got to check the computer and see if it still has the coordinates to the information." He hoped it did. If not, they'd have to find their way using landmarks. That wouldn't be easy normally, but Cody was injured, making it that much harder.

Obi-Wan moved back to the ship, nimbly jumping onto the wing, and climbing forward until he was inside the smoldering ruins of what had once been a space-craft. He sighed, muttering "Anakin won't let me live this down," and tapped the button on his console. The computer didn't react. Nothing reacted. With a sigh, Obi-Wan gathered a few supplies, as well as the medical kit, and returned to where he'd left Cody. "The ship's computer was destroyed in the crash. I'm afraid we'll have to do this the hard way."

"Weapons?" Cody managed, grinding his teeth against another flash of throbbing, and burning. He trusted the Jedi that he fought beside. "If we... if we find somewhere to... set up better defense than out in... the open." He rolled on his side, a hand clutching at his chest. "I'm sorry, Sir," he wheezed. He wished he could be of more help.

Obi-Wan knelt beside Cody. "No need to apologize." He frowned slightly. This wasn't good. He'd have to find the cause of injury, and see what he could do. But Cody was right. They needed a better position defense wise. "Do you think you can walk?" Obi-Wan didn't think he should, but they didn't have a choice at this point.

"Yes." He was already sitting up, though one hand was tightly gripping Obi-wan's bicep.

Obi-Wan helped him up, letting him have a minute to catch his breath. He glanced around. Other than the sound of the ship behind them catching fire, there was nothing but silence-unnatural silence. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Cody didn't put his helmet back on. He looked up as though expecting to see TIE fighters, and perhaps that was exactly what he was expecting.

Moving at a slow pace, Obi-Wan started walking, his left arm under Cody's right, helping him along. "The weather here is... not good at night. We'll need to find shelter quickly. The windstorms are deadly, and cold. We need to find a place to get indoors."

"Village, or city?" It would take too long to find one. Cody shook his head and frowned, forcing himself to focus.

"The closest city is on the other side of those mountains." He pointed, grimacing. "No... we'll have to find something closer. A cave, tunnel, or abandoned building perhaps."

"All right, whatever you say, General." Cody gave a brisk nod.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Let's get moving then. Wouldn't want to be caught in the storm." He began, walking slowly beside his friend. It would be a while before they found something. He wished they could use the ship, but it was burning, and even if it didn't explode, it would still be sending smoke as a signal-and who knew who was watching. "We'll make for that ridge," Obi-Wan pointed. "It likely has caves-or at very least, it will offer some protection from the wind."

Cody began walking, trying not to slow them down too severely. His heart thudded wildly - his mind screaming at him. He narrowed his eyes and scowled at the road ahead.

Obi-Wan trudged along beside him, occasionally glancing back. In the distance, the Jedi could see a massive cloud of dust stirring. The wind was picking up. Luckily, it was a long way out. They had at least an hour or two before it became a problem. "Tell me, Cody, what will you do when the war ends?" Obi-Wan decided some small-talk was appropriate; it was better than nothing.

"I've never expected to survive the war. I'm a soldier; the clones are my brothers." He gasped in pain and briefly screwed his eyes shut. "I can't imagine anything else for myself. What will the Jedi do?"

Obi-Wan felt his soul ache. No living being should have to feel that way. "What? Oh... the Jedi? I suppose we will go on as Jedi always have; training up others in the ways of the Force. Showing them Light. And my friend, you-and your brothers-will live, if I have anything to say about it."

"I hope so, Sir." Cody grimaced as dust swirled and blew in his face. "We all want the sacrifices of... the Jedi, the clones, the rebels - to mean the end of a war, not just... wasteful death." By the time he finished he was struggling to catch his breath.

"Let's rest for a moment." Obi-Wan glanced back. The storm was plenty far off. A few minutes wouldn't hurt.

Cody bent on one knee and pressed a hand against his bruised chest. His lungs ached, as though they were lined with ice. He had been taught breathing techniques, and yet none of them seemed to be helping.

Obi-Wan scanned the area for a place they could stop for the night. The ridge he'd been heading for was closer now. They could likely make it. Yet, Obi-Wan didn't particularly want to keep walking-or rather, he didn't want to push Cody into walking that far without knowing how bad his injuries were. The Jedi was silent as he considered his options.

"I can make it," Cody spoke as though he had heard Kenobi's thoughts. He stood, a bit shakily, but he held his head high and his shoulders back. "Whenever you're ready, Sir."

"You're a good man. I'd hate to lose you," Obi-Wan announced, carefully patting Cody's shoulder. He then went back to supporting him as they made their way to the ridge.

The ground beneath their feet was like ashen dust. If there was grass at one point, it had all died out. The only sign of plant-life was on the ridge, and beyond it. There were trees; though they were not anything special to look at. They looked like they belonged in a swamp, though this planet was far from it. They were thick and tangled-not exactly something Obi-Wan cared for, but in this case, they would provide good cover farther in. That would be worth it.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you all for reading, hope you had a blessed day! Enjoy this chapter!**

Just before nightfall, the two had reached the ridge, and found a suitable place to stay for the night. The wind howled outside the temporary shelter. Roots and vines had grown together to form a sort of cave, protecting from the harsh wind and the cold. Having cleared a spot, Obi-Wan had lit a small fire. He'd been busy for several hours, making sure the fire stayed lit, and doing what he could for Cody. It had been a long night, and it was not yet over.

Obi-Wan had checked his friend's injuries. He'd quickly discovered that the main source of trouble was a broken sternum. It wasn't as bad as it could've been-but Obi-Wan, not being a doctor, was still concerned. He knew there was little he could do. For now, Obi-Wan kept watch while Cody slept.

The Jedi stared out the opening of the "cave." He figured the sun would rise in an hour or two. As much as he wanted to finish their mission, he knew that it would be dangerous to go alone, and he was unwilling to have an injured man walk miles on end, into who knew what. The droids could have already reached the old Jedi building... and the information. Obi-Wan figured they could rest here another day.

Again he thought back to the crash. He'd checked the comms, only to discover they'd been ruined in the crash. There was no contacting the Jedi council, or anyone else for that matter. At least, not with that ship. They would need to find another way-that or wait for someone to notice their absence. No doubt the council would notice, and send Anakin after them. The thought brought Obi-Wan some hope. There was always hope.

Across the cavern the other man stirred. Cody narrowed his eyes, looking towards the fire. Flames licked at the air, sparks falling onto the cold stone ground. He shook his head and shakily pushed himself up with his arms. "General Kenobi?"

"How do you feel?" Obi-Wan asked without turning. He sensed something... It was distant, but disturbing nonetheless.

"Well I can breathe," Cody replied with a half-hearted smirk, "Thank you, Sir."

"That's good," Obi-Wan stated, half sarcastically, but he really did mean it. "We'll stay here today, and move on tomorrow. If the council doesn't hear from us today, they will send reinforcements."

Cody nodded and propped himself up against the wall, drawing in a sharp breath as he did so. "How do we get the intel?"

"Well, as far as I can tell, we crashed near the old Jedi building it was left in. It won't be far... if the Separatists haven't taken it already."

"I can be the distraction, if there are any..." He paused and grimaced, placing a hand on his chest, "Clankers, at the Jedi building."

"No..." Obi-Wan paused. "We'll find a better way. I'm not risking your life."

"If you say so, Sir." The Jedi tended to have rather unorthodox plans, but they usually worked. "I trust you, General."

Obi-Wan smiled. His attention was only partially on the conversation. Something called for his full attention. There was a disturbance-though he couldn't tell exactly what. Through the howling wind, Obi-Wan could see lights in the distance. He pulled his light-saber from its place. Though he wasn't sure who exactly was coming to their position, he knew they weren't friendly. "We're about to have company," he stated.

Cody pulled his blaster pistol from the holster and stared out of the cave opening. Sand blew over the ground, pushed by the whispering winds - the lights grew closer, as did the sound of metal in motion. A distant voice - nearly covered by nature's mourning - could be heard. Mechanical and strange, "Why do I always get this job?"

"Stop complaining!" There was a scraping like metal hitting metal.

"Hey!"

Cody stood and leaned against the wall, aiming out into the night storm.

"Battle droids," Obi-Wan mused. "At least we know where they are." He spoke quietly so he wouldn't be heard. "They'll be in range soon."

Grinding his teeth and frowning, Cody waited, aiming at one of the lights.

Obi-Wan waited. The air seemed to still, and the droids slowed.

"Wait, did you hear something?"

The droids all stopped. "Hey... I think there's someone over there!"

Obi-Wan looked back at Cody. "They've seen us." With that, the Jedi activated his light-saber. The blue light shone through the darkness.

"Jedi!" The droids all started shooting at once.

Obi-Wan easily blocked several shots, sending the lazer bolts back at the droids. One was hit, and fell uselessly to the ground. The others kept firing.

Cody took his shot and another fell to the ground. He cringed as the recoil sent a spasm through his bruised chest.

Deflecting another shot, Obi-Wan took out another. He could see only five more. It must have been a small patrol. No doubt there would be more.

The remaining droids reached the entrance. Obi-Wan slashed one in half, watching it fall to the ground. He blocked a shot from another, disabling the droid. Using the Force, Obi-Wan sent the broken droid flying toward the others.

The crashing echoed in the small cave. Cody started sliding back down to the ground, his back against the wall. "Next time leave some for me to scrap," his tone was joking. Mostly.

Obi-Wan laughed and shook his head. "I'll try, but no promises." He moved toward the droids. Perhaps one of them had some kind of radio he could use to contact the council. Of course, even if they had one, he would have to rewire it, and that wasn't exactly his specialty. Still, he could try. Obi-Wan went through what was left of the droids, pushing the metal scraps out of the way and looking for anything that resembled a transmitter.

Cody watched through half-shut eyes. He took a deep breath and let his head fall back against the stone.

Obi-Wan found what he was looking for. He picked up the small device and stared at it. It would need to be rewired. He'd seen Anakin do things like this... "You wouldn't happen to know how to rewire a transmitter, would you?" Obi-Wan asked, turning and holding up the device.

Amber eyes opened wider, "Actually, by chance I would." He held out a hand. He was eager to at least do something...

Obi-Wan handed over the transmitter. "Glad to hear it."

Cody pulled off the backing to reveal the wires. He began rewiring them, careful to avoid anything that would alert the other droids... Perhaps the war would end in their lifetime - perhaps Obi-wan would see the Jedi return to being the peacekeepers they always had been, and perhaps Cody would see his brothers become free men.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: As the traffic graph says there are people reading this, I would like to thank you all for taking the time! Please enjoy!**

The transmitter crackled to life once again. Cody grinned momentarily and began to stand, ignoring the searing agony that followed. "General Kenobi," he called.

"Yes, Cody?" The Jedi turned, walking over and pushing a destroyed droid out of his way.

"I rewired the transmitter." He winced in discomfort and grunted, grinding his teeth. The pain passed after several seconds.

"Well done!" Obi-Wan snatched the small radio and held it for a moment. He smiled and nodded, then hit the button that would allow him to speak. "This is General Kenobi transmitting from the planet Losuju. If anyone can hear me, please respond." He paused, practically holding his breath.

A voice crackled over the radio. "Please? Things must be really bad. What happened? We were beginning to worry."

Obi-Wan smirked. "Anakin."

"The one and only. Did you two find the intel?"

"Well..." Obi-Wan ran a hand over the back of his neck and grimaced. Here it came. "Not exactly."

"…Obi-wan?"

"We were attacked by a Separatist fleet. Our ship went down a few miles away from our intended destination. They were waiting for us."

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Cody was injured in the crash, but I believe he'll be all right. Can you send a ship-and some reinforcements-to come pick us up? We need that intel."

"Of course. We should be there by nightfall - will you both be okay on your own until then?"

"Yes. And Anakin..." Obi-Wan waited to make sure he was listening.

"Yes, my former master...?" The sound was somewhat dragged out.

"Be careful."

"If I can't avoid it..." Anakin joked. "You two don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That leaves everything, Anakin. May the Force be with you." Obi-Wan tried to hide a smile, as he shook his head.

"And with you, Obi-wan."

The connection faded, and was replaced by the sound of static. "Well, now we have a better chance." He nodded. "You think you can make it a few miles?" It would be best if they had the information before Anakin and their backup arrived.

"Yes, Sir."

"Then we should get moving." Obi-Wan put the small hand-held radio in a hidden pocket. "We should be able to make it before noon." He waited for Cody, all the while staring out the opening of their cave. He had wanted to remain another day, just to let Cody rest... but it seemed they didn't have time to wait.

The clone stood and walked just past Obi-wan, one hand on his chest as though it would push away the feeling of pressure and spikes. To some degree, it lessened the discomfort. He nodded sharply.

Obi-Wan moved to the other man's side and helped him walk forward. If the droids attacked them, it wouldn't be as easy to fight them. Without the cover of their cave, they would be vulnerable. Yet, it was a chance they had to take. The two moved out of the cave at a slow pace, heading in the direction Obi-Wan knew the old Jedi building was in.

The moment they stepped out of the entrance a gust of wind blew sand over the two men. Cody scowled but stayed silent, watching the ground to avoid taking a miss-step.

Obi-Wan sputtered, spitting out dust. "I hate sand-storms!" He called over the wind. "Not as much as Anakin does though!" He added as an afterthought.

Cody laughed, but it was nearly covered up by the howling.

The two continued forward. Obi-Wan pondered the storm, and when it would end. As soon as the sun was securely up in the sky, the wind would die down, and it would warm up a bit. He couldn't wait. He stared up the yell-conversation again. "What about you? What do you think of all this sand?" He knew that Kamino was nothing like this, with its oceans and grey clouds. Obi-Wan wondered what the clones thought of other climates, but he'd never actually asked before then.

"It's a pain in the..." Whatever word finished his sentence was drowned out by the wind.

Obi-Wan grinned, instantly regretting it as sand blasted into his mouth, getting between his teeth like a million gritty rocks. He grimaced. "At least you've got a helmet!" Obi-Wan spat out the sand.

Cody clapped Obi-wan's shoulder and shook his head, a smile growing on his face. Jedi weren't always more graceful than all other life forms...

"I can almost hear you smiling, Cody." Obi-Wan knew it, though he might not be able to see it. Of course, he didn't mind.

"Sorry, General," Cody replied even as the smile stayed in place.

"No need to apologize!" Obi-Wan called over a particularly harsh gust of wind. He glanced back. The cave was now about ten yards behind them. They weren't making good time. But still, it was of no concern. The storm would pass soon. Obi-Wan let the Force guide him, as he knew it was impossible to see more than twenty feet ahead.

Cody took in a rugged breath as pain tore through his torso. He leaned heavily against the Jedi until he regained his bearings.

Obi-Wan continued forward, pressing on through the grey-brown haze of nearly un-breathable air. He held his free hand before his face, wishing for all the world that the sand-storm would just let up. He grumbled quietly to himself, trudging onward.

A thought hit him. Perhaps... He held a hand forward, focusing energy toward the air. If he could push away the dust around them, then at least it would be easier to see and breathe. He let the Force flow through him, and watched as the air seemed to clear in a ten foot circle around them. That was better... and he assumed he could keep this up at least until the worst of the storm was over.

Cody looked up at the new-invisible-barricade. A small creature tried to push its way inside, it's large, oval ears swiveling as it listened. Instead of coming into the... Bubble, its tiny head rammed against whatever was blocking the wind out. The Somu shook its head and scurried off back into its hole.

Unfortunately, in Obi-Wan's focus, he lost track of the present. His foot hit a rock and he-rather clumsily-tried to stop himself from going down, hopping and slipping as he regained his balance.

Cody grunted as he was knocked off balance himself. He gripped the other man's shoulders to steady him, roughly pulling him to a stop in the process.

Obi-Wan was grateful for the quick save. "Anakin doesn't hear about this," Obi-Wan stated, raising a hand. "He'd never let me hear the end of it." He started off again. "And thank you."

"Hear about what?" Cody smiled slightly, "That's what I'm here for, General."

Obi-Wan smirked. He appreciated it greatly. "You're a true friend, Cody."

"Just a soldier, Sir."

Obi-Wan halted and turned, looking directly at the other man. "A good one, too. But you're more than that; you're a friend to me."

"Thank you." Cody dipped his head. "It's an honour to hear you say that, Sir."

Obi-Wan nodded once. The clones were people-they had lives. They were just as important as everyone else.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you JayneForester and GUNZ4u2c for the follows, and favorite.**

The miles passed with relative ease when the wind died down. Obi-Wan and Cody had stayed by the ridge as long as they were able, knowing it would afford them some cover in case there were droids nearby. Their destination was just ahead; the old Jedi building towered into the pale sky. Obi-Wan stopped for a moment, looking at Cody. "Do you see anything?"

"Other than clankers? No, Sir."

Obi-Wan frowned and shook his head. "I had hoped they wouldn't beat us here. We'll have to improvise."

"What do you have in mind?" Cody asked, turning to look at Obi-wan.

"Well, I'm open to suggestions." Obi-Wan shrugged.

"They're guarding the entrance, who knows how many more are on the inside. We need a distraction."

"Perhaps. But we've little to work with." Obi-Wan looked around contemplatively. "You wouldn't happen to have a grenade handy, would you?"

Cody pulled a grenade from the armor's belt. "The ship or the droids, General?"

"Though I admire your enthusiasm-neither. We need a diversion, and with only two of us, it would be best to draw them away from the building. If we leave the grenade and detonate it from a distance, we can draw them out, then sneak in when they leave to investigate."

Cody listened silently then looked back towards the battle droids wandering outside of the entrance. Two stood by the door, and another three walked some ways in front of the building, and still more stood by the ship.

"If we plant it here, we can wait just there..." Obi-Wan pointed to a small cluster of dead trees. "...and detonate it. When the droids leave the building, we'll make for the second entrance and take out the few remaining." He waited to see if Cody would agree that it was a sound plan.

"We'll only have a few minutes before their reinforcements arrive." Cody paused for a moment, "But we would have the advantage of surprise, it could work."

"All right." Obi-Wan planted the grenade, nodded once, and looked to Cody, making sure he was ready. He had the detonator after all.

Cody shook his head slightly and spoke quietly about something, the words too soft to hear. He began walking, taking the lead and making his way down the steep hill. Pain hammered in his chest, his lungs threatening to collapse. The path they took was hidden by shrubbery and rather ugly looking trees.

Obi-Wan walked casually beside him. He glanced around, listening to ensure they'd not been seen by the droids just yet.

Cody stopped when they reached the small cluster of long-dead trees. Holding the detonator, he only nodded once to Obi-wan before pressing down on the button. Dirt was thrown into the air along with the rolling flames as the grenade exploded and tore up the ground.

Obi-Wan watched as smoke rolled into the sky. The droids wouldn't have been able to miss that. He smirked. Waiting a moment, he listened until he could hear the metal creaking of the droids mechanical limbs. "Shall we?" He spoke quietly as he began walking stealthily forward.

Cody followed. The battle droids moved seemingly as fast as they could towards the explosion.

They moved quietly along, unnoticed by the droids. Obi-Wan wondered at why someone would build droids with so little understanding-droids that one might even consider "Dumb". He didn't mind, as long as the enemy kept using them, it gave the Jedi and Clones that much of an edge over their enemy.

"All right," Cody spoke as they came to the entrance. There were no droids there for the time being. He pulled the blaster from his holster and waited for Obi-wan to open the door, all-the-while aiming towards the cold metal.

Obi-Wan held a hand forward and closed his eyes for a moment. The Force flowed through him to the door. He felt it vibrate, then slide open with a metal groan. "That went well."

"What? Hey!" A mechanical voice shouted. Cody aimed and pulled the trigger, and again - the two droids dropping to the floor with a clang.

"Now it went well."

Obi-Wan huffed. "Sarcasm, Cody?" He smirked.

Cody smiled briefly.

Obi-Wan moved forward, stepping over the droids and hauling them out of the entry way so they wouldn't be seen from outside. He straightened up again and looked around. "Now, we just have to find the chip..."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you PHENOMENIAN-SHIRO! I hope you all have a blessed day, and enjoy this installment!**

The building seemed to have an endless amount of hallways, like some kind of maze. Cody walked beside Obi-wan through the abandoned Jedi temple. There was no telling where the Separatists had the chip, or the rebels that had been keeping it safe - if they were still alive.

Obi-Wan strode forward taking quiet steps so as not to alert any droids to their presence. They hadn't seen anymore, but that didn't mean there weren't any. The Jedi strode along, looking in every room. All he knew was that the chip here... and he would know it when he saw it-or that's what he'd been told.

The clone walked alongside him, gloved hands gripping a blaster. The pain in his torso had turned to a dull throbbing, at least. General Skywalker and the others were to arrive by nightfall, and with any luck the two men will have succeeded in retrieving the intel by then.

The distant sound of clinking echoed through the hall. Droid patrol. Obi-Wan slipped into a side room, motioning for Cody to do the same.

Cody had already started to move into the other room. He listened to the clanking of metal limbs, waiting as they drew steadily nearer.

Obi-Wan listened as well. The air seemed tense as the droids approached. These were commando droids, not battle droids. Obi-Wan had hoped not to run into any of those. Hopefully, they wouldn't be seen.

Cody waited silently, even as his hands gripped the weapon tightly. The droids began to pass, their movements painstakingly slow.

One glanced into the room and stopped, staring intently. Obi-Wan didn't move. He looked across the door-way at Cody. Did the droids know they were here?

Cody scowled slightly, the expression hidden beneath the helmet. The droid stared for several more seconds before it started walking, the others following in tow. Waiting until the clanking faded to far away echoes, Cody stepped out of the hidden doorway and back into the corridor.

Obi-Wan let out a relieved breath. He didn't speak until he could no longer hear the droids. "That was too close."

"It always is, Sir."

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. That did seem to be true, and sometimes he wondered why. The enemy always seemed to know every move before they made it. It was unsettling.

They started off again, heading down the long dark hallway. It wasn't long before they reached the room on the far end of the hall. It looked like it had once been a meeting room. Large windows across the room looked out over the barren landscape, and pale light shone into the large room, illuminating it. In the center of the room, one of the tiles in the center of the floor was crooked, pulled at an odd angle. Obi-Wan strode forward, curious. Perhaps...

He knelt and tugged at it. The tile came away with relative ease. Beneath it, in a small clear box, Obi-Wan spotted the chip. "It's here," he called quietly. "Whoever left it for us has gone, or were taken by the droids."

Cody stood guard at the entry way, only once sparing a glance back at his friend. "Do you have it?" He was growing anxious. It seemed all-too easy.

"Yes." Obi-Wan stood and strode to the door.

"That intel must be darn important," Cody half-muttered. How had the Separatists even known about it? They seemed to always find out about such things. What if there was someone on the inside selling information?

"Let's hope so." Obi-Wan glanced into the hall. "We need to find a place to meet Anakin-somewhere at least relatively secure."

"Copy that, Sir." He started forward once again, "They will come here first, if we can just find somewhere secure until General Skywalker arrives..."

Obi-Wan nodded. "As long as the droids don't find us first..."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I hope you're all having a lovely day thusfar!**

Cody closed the door behind them, looking around the abandoned supply room. Crates were stacked on top of each other and looked rather unorderly, at least, for being in a Jedi temple. They could barricade themselves inside until the republic fleet arrived, it would give them more time. Two of them couldn't fight the entire army, especially backed into a corner so-to-speak. But they could prepare. And perhaps there was something useful in one of the crates.

Obi-Wan assisted, moving the boxes and crates to the door. The droids had discovered them a bit earlier, and they'd had a brief fight. For the time being, they were hidden again, but now the droids knew they were there. That complicated things. Anakin wasn't scheduled to pick them up until sundown, and that was still hours away.

Cody set his blaster on top of one of the larger crates as he and Obi-wan pushed it up against the door. He left two of the other crates for cover.

"Well, this is as good as it gets. We'll have to hold out until Anakin arrives."

"We will, Sir."

Obi-Wan smiled. He was glad one of them was enthusiastic.

Cody picked up his blaster and crossed the supply room to the boxes placed for cover. He sank to the ground, his back against one of the splintery crates. He placed a hand on his chest and the other that held the pistol he set on his bent knee. He only moved to pull off his helmet and set it on the floor beside him.

Obi-Wan walked after him and stood a yard away. "We should have been prepared. I didn't believe anyone knew... so I suppose this is my fault," Obi-Wan stated.

"Jedi may be powerful, but you're not all-powerful. If you have to blame something, blame the Seppies." Cody let his head fall back against the wood and closed his eyes. "Besides, we're not dead yet, Sir. We'll give them a heckuva fight."

"Thank you, Cody. You're right, of course." Obi-Wan sat beside him.

Cody opened his eyes and stared at the door for a moment.

The sound of droids in the hall was evident. Obi-Wan listened, completely silent as the sound grew steadily louder. He couldn't tell how many there were, but it was more than ten-or, he assumed it was. The Jedi pulled his light-saber from its place and waited. If the droids found them, it would take them a little while to get the door open, and push through the crates.

Voices came from the other side of the door. "Get that door open!"

"It's stuck, Sir."

"Oh, stuck you say? Try harder!"

"You heard him!"

"Roger, roger!"

One of the voices was a man, the others were mechanical.

Obi-Wan frowned intently. "Not good," he muttered quietly. They were now being supervised by someone- someone smarter than a droid.

Cody grimaced as he stood. He put his hands on the crate to steady himself, his expression twisting in pain.

Obi-Wan glanced sideways at the clone commander, then back at the door.

"I think they've barricaded it from the inside, Sir!" a droid's voice commented.

Cody shook his head and crouched behind the crate, aiming the blaster at the door.

Obi-Wan was beside him, light-saber in hand as he stared ahead. Droids were slow. He was never sure if it was the droids he disliked, or waiting for them to attack. The boxes scrapped over the floor as they were pushed out of the way, the door beginning to crack open.

"We're almost through!"

"Don't waste time. Get it open."

The moment the door was completely open, Cody began firing. The first droid fell to sparks and scrap metal, bringing the second down with it in the process.

Obi-Wan stood, blocking blaster-bolts and sending them back at the droids. Another went down. Outside, the man with them-presumably their commander-hid behind the safety of the wall.

"Keep firing!" the man yelled.

"But Sir, they're killing us!"

Several more came into the room single-file. They spread out along the wall, firing at the two men.

Obi-Wan continued blocking their fire. After a minute of this, he jumped over the crates, landing before the nearest droid. He sliced it in half easily, then moved on to the next one.

Cody shot a battle droid that approached the General from behind. He stood, returning fire at the Clankers. Where was their commander hiding?

They'd only just taken out the first wave, when eight more droids entered the room. Obi-Wan moved toward them. They kept coming in waves of eight, as soon as they were down eight more came to take their place. The floor was already covered in droid parts. And they still had at very least an hour until the republic fleet came.

"Surely they can't keep sending more. It's not like the whole army is here!" Obi-Wan called over the sound of blasters being fired.

Cody scowled as two droids approached him. He reached forward, gripping a metal head and yanking it sideways then back until wires were revealed. The clone pulled it off of the droid's body, dropping the head and instead using the metal corpse as a shield from the other's blaster bolts.

At last, the remaining droids fell. Obi-Wan rushed to the door, light-saber still activated. He was just in time to see a man running around the corner. "It seems the droids' commander wasn't in the mood for a fight."

"He won't be able to run so easily when the fleet arrives, General!" Cody shoved the droid against the other, sending them both to the ground. He aimed the blaster at the one pinned beneath the headless Clanker and fired, sparks bursting from its 'face'.

"I hope you're right." Obi-Wan stood in the hall. "We need to find another place... chances are, there are more droids. I don't want to be here in the open when they arrive."

"Copy that!" Cody picked up his helmet from the floor.

Obi-Wan led the way, walking through the large hall toward the other end. "There should be a large chamber along this direction-if it's like any other Jedi building..." he muttered, though he knew it was easily audible to Cody.

Cody followed in silence, making sure they weren't being followed.

They reached an open door, leading off into a huge library-like room. "This-here it is. It should do nicely for cover."

Cody nodded and looked around for several seconds. He put his helmet back on.

Walking forward, Obi-Wan made for the far side of the room, looking around as he did. This would be as good a place as any to wait until Anakin arrived with backup.

Cody holstered his pistol blaster. "Do you have a plan?"

"I'm working on it, but hopefully, I won't need one."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: This is the last chapter for this story, and then shortly I should (God-willing) start posting another co-written chapter-fic also about Cody and Obi-wan. Enjoy!**

The evening dragged on. Obi-Wan and Cody remained hidden in the ancient Jedi library. Droids patrols passed, searching for them, but never bothered to wander deep into the old room. Obi-Wan was exhausted. He could almost imagine his eyes sliding closed and not even realize it was happening. He'd not slept well-or at all, in the last several days. The events of the past two had drained what little energy he had left. "Anakin better hurry," Obi-Wan stated.

Cody hummed quietly, amber eyes already closed. The bruising on his torso had become worse - he hadn't bothered looking at it, he could already imagine the yellow, green, purple and blue covering his skin. He shook his head, opening his eyes feeling much harder than it should have. "It's past nightfall, they'll come soon, Sir."

"I imagine they will..." Obi-Wan muttered, blinking at the books opposite him. He leaned back against the grey wall behind him. It wasn't comfortable, but it was better than nothing.

Cody moved his hands to either side of his helmet and worked it off. He held the helmet against his abdomen and let his head rest against the wall.

"When Anakin comes, I'll make sure he gets you to a medic first thing," Obi-Wan muttered.

Turning his head towards the Jedi, Cody spoke, "Thank you, Sir. I'll be fine."

"You will." Obi-Wan nodded in agreement.

Cody closed his eyes again. Sleep tugged at his senses. He wheezed in breath, even the quiet noise sounding uncomfortable. Perhaps the injury was worse than he'd thought, he shouldn't have been that tired. Perhaps he needed some rest. If he was needed, Obi-wan would wake him. Besides, a Jedi would know before he would if there was something about to happen. He let himself drift off.

Obi-Wan blinked slowly. He hoped Anakin hurried up.

************

Anakin walked through the temple building, letting the Force guide him. He knew Obi-wan and Cody were inside, and close, he could sense it. The footsteps of his men echoed behind him. They had come to Losuju with a fleet - the separatists had been unprepared for their arrival. The battle hadn't lasted nearly as long as he had expected.

Rex walked beside him, blasters drawn, just in case. As they walked, the passed several destroyed battle droids. Clearly, they were going in the right direction, not that he ever doubted they were.

Anakin suddenly stopped. There was a rather large door looming ahead of them, and if he was correct, It would have been the library. And if he knew his former master at all... He moved forward and opened the door. He searched the room with his mind - they were there, but no one else was with them. He pushed the door open. The libraries tended to be rather vast. He refrained from sighing. "Rex and I will search here," he motioned as he spoke, "The rest of you check through those isles."

"Yes sir." Several of the men broke off and began searching. Rex stayed with Anakin, waiting for the general to lead the way.

Anakin strode forward. "It's like a maze in here," he spoke softly, more to himself.

"Yeah..." The sound was drawn out as Rex looked around, searching for any sign of Commander Cody or General Kenobi. "Good place not to be found, Sir." He figured that's why they'd chosen it; as a place to wait for backup.

Anakin was about to reply when he turned a corner to see the very people they had been seeking. He smirked. He silently crossed the distance between them and crouched, arms resting on his legs. "It's nice to see you're comfortable, Master."

Rex glanced down, seeing General Kenobi had fallen asleep, and his head had fallen onto Cody's shoulder. Rex smirked.

Obi-Wan stirred, blinked, then sat up with a jerk. "Anakin! You're late." He huffed and looked up, squinting as though the the light was too bright.

Cody woke around the same time, looking somewhat confused.

"I think I got here just in time," Anakin said, with no intention of wiping the smirk off his face.

Obi-Wan glared up at him. The Jedi held his hand forward. "Here is the chip. It better be worth it. Cody is wounded-he'll need a medic."

Anakin took the chip, "Jesse is with the others. Come on." He moved to Cody, pulling his arm over his shoulders and helping him stand.

Rex called Jesse over, and the medic appeared across the room, looking around a shelf of ancient books. He jogged over, blaster holstered as he made his way toward Cody, taking over and leaving Anakin to talk to Obi-Wan.

"On some planets, the name Cody means 'pillow'." Anakin said nonchalantly.

Obi-Wan's expression was flat as he stared at Anakin. "You're lucky the Jedi order won't let me hold grudges."

Anakin held up his hands, "All right," he spoke even as he laughed slightly.

Obi-Wan shook his head and shut his eyes tightly. "You worry me, Anakin."

As they walked, they caught up to the others, along with Jesse and Cody. The clone commander came to a halt, cringing as he turned. "General Kenobi - thank you."

"I should be thanking you," Obi-Wan said, nodding sharply.

"I'm just a soldier, Sir." There was something different in the way he said it. Pride.

Obi-Wan smiled. A soldier-yes. But a friend too.

 **Thank you for the support, thank you for your time, and I hope you have an excellent rest of the week!**


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